Legion Pod: Five Fast Facts

At Lockheed Martin, our targeting systems and sensors have a long history of innovation. Since the 1970s, we’ve utilized internal investment and pre-planned product improvement programs to provide warfighters with the latest and greatest in targeting technology. From our LANTIRN pods, M-TADS/PNVS and Missile Launch Detector to Target Sight System and Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, we’ve continuously proven that our detection, identification, tracking and engagement capabilities are unmatched.

Now, we’re introducing Legion Pod — our latest example of targeting and sensing innovation. Utilizing a combination of advanced technologies — and providing a legion of capabilities unlike any other system —Legion Pod enables warfighters to successfully complete their missions while staying out of harm’s way. Want to learn more? Here are five fast facts about Legion Pod:

It's unique.

There’s no question — Legion Pod sets itself apart from the competition. Using Lockheed Martin’s IRST21 sensor, networking and advanced processing technology, Legion Pod provides high-fidelity detection and tracking of air-to-air targets in radar-denied environments. What exactly does that mean? It means that Legion Pod detects and tracks enemies while remaining hidden from radar. Then, it takes the data it collected, combines it, and shares it with allies.

It’s flexible.

No, we don’t mean that Legion Pod bends easily – or that it does backflips. What we mean is that Legion Pod is designed for flexibility, accommodating additional sensors within its current structure without costly system or aircraft modifications. So, if a customer requests another sensor capability be added, it can quickly be integrated in Legion Pod without redesigning the pod or affecting the host aircraft. Legion Pod is purposefully made with enough physical space, power and payload capacity to be able to do so.

It’s transportable.

Yes, this means what it sounds like — that Legion Pod can easily be moved. In our case, it means moved from aircraft platform to aircraft platform. How does that work? Legion Pod is designed with a standardized interface, or, as we often call it, a plug-and-play architecture. Think of Legion Pod like a USB stick — you simply plug it into an airplane, and it immediately knows what airplane it’s on and what software it requires to operate.

It’s production-ready.

All Legion Pod components have completed limited qualification, and flight tests will occur shortly. Why is that important? If a customer placed a large order of Legion Pods tomorrow, the production team could immediately begin producing and assembling parts of the pod while concurrently completing qualification testing and flight testing. Legion Pod is real — and it’s ready to fulfill warfighters’ needs.

It’s sustainable.

Legion Pod is modular, meaning it’s made up of line-replaceable units (LRUs) that can be removed and swapped out when repairs or upgrades are required. Think of it this way — instead of taking a 550-pound Legion Pod off an aircraft and removing it from the flightline for work, an operator can simply replace or repair a specific LRU while Legion Pod remains in place. The same applies for upgrades, ensuring that Legion Pod can easily evolve to meet customer requirements.